Upon hearing this sound, all the women standing in the courtyard breathed a sigh of relief and turned to look at the distance.
Sure enough, several graceful figures came over. The two in front were talking and laughing, while several maids followed carefully behind them, showing that the two were of very high status.
Hailin squinted and looked over. A person was tall and of moderate build, with beautiful features and a dignified and elegant demeanor.
This person is probably Yu Zheng, the concubine of the Crown Prince. Her father is General Yu Yao of the Great Zhou Dynasty. Although Yu Yao is getting old and no longer goes to war, there are still many of his followers in the army, so his influence still exists. In addition to Yu Yao, there are other forces in the Yu family. This is why Yu Zheng was made a concubine as soon as she entered the Crown Prince’s residence. The power of the Yu family should not be underestimated.
However, Hai Ling did not expect that the woman beside her was actually her nemesis Ye Xiuya, who called Yu Zheng her cousin.
It turns out they are cousins. Green Lotus seemed to have mentioned it last night. Ye Xiuya came over early this morning, so she must have heard about what happened to her yesterday. How could this woman let this opportunity pass?
Looking around, Hailin saw a variety of women, some plump and some slender, all dressed up carefully, creating a scene of peach blossoms, willows, and clusters of flowers.
Feng Zixiao certainly knows how to enjoy life. The masters in front of him are all top-tier, and there are several lesser-known courtesans living in the North Courtyard.
The Crown Prince's residence is indeed filled with beautiful women.
But thinking about how these women are all scheming and jealous, all for such a heartless and cold-blooded man, I truly feel sorry for them.
As everyone was lost in thought, Concubine Yuzheng and Ye Xiuying walked over.
The Third Madam, who had previously held a high position towards Hailing and refused to pay her respects, along with the concubines from the Crown Prince's residence, immediately led their maids over to greet Yuzheng with joyful faces upon seeing her arrive.
"Greetings, Sister Yu."
They all spoke in unison, making it seem as if Yuzheng was the true mistress of the Crown Prince's residence, while Hailing was just a bystander watching the spectacle.
Rouge was furious and couldn't help but ask, "Miss, look at them!"
Chapter 66 [Handwritten VIP]
Hai Ling raised her hand to stop Yan Zhi from speaking, because Yan Zhi was just a servant. If they started to cause trouble, Yan Zhi might give others something to talk about. As the saying goes, "When soldiers come, generals will block them; when water comes, earth will dam it." Since they had all appeared, she wanted to see how these women would show her their power today. Her eyes were cold.
At the door, Yu Zheng, surrounded by a throng of admirers, smiled gracefully and nodded to each of her sisters, signaling them to rise.
On the surface, this woman appears gentle and elegant, but upon closer inspection, one can easily discern a hint of sharpness in her eyes and a subtle arrogance in her brows. This woman is no ordinary person.
"Everyone, please rise. I didn't expect that the younger sisters would come to pay their respects to the Crown Princess before their elder sister."
"Yes, sister."
Third Madam Yan Lian and the others stood up with smiles, and the other concubines followed suit, making way for each other.
Yu Zheng and Ye Xiuying walked over, smiling at Hai Ling standing in front of the door. The two faced each other, neither of them offering greetings or showing weakness. On the contrary, disdain appeared in their eyes.
Ye Xiuying's voice rang out first: "Your Highness, did you not sleep well last night? You have such big dark circles under your eyes."
Ye Xiuying was not only Consort Yu's cousin, but also had a senior-junior relationship with the Crown Prince. The Crown Prince was usually very easygoing with her, so the women in the Crown Prince's residence always fawned over her. When they heard her mocking the Crown Princess, they laughed along with her.
"I didn't sleep well because I was disturbed by a bunch of self-righteous, gossipy peacocks. How can I sleep well then?"
Hai Ling spoke coldly, then glanced at the women in front of the door.
The moment she opened her mouth, everyone's face turned green. They hadn't expected this woman to be so shrewd, reducing them all to peacocks in comparison.
Even so, Hai Ling had no intention of letting them off the hook. She continued calmly, "I've heard that the Empress of this dynasty is very particular about etiquette. I didn't know that the Crown Prince's residence had become a chicken coop, with all sorts of stinking chickens."
The women in front of the door seemed to have their fur standing on end, their eyebrows raised, their eyes wide open, glaring angrily at Hailin.
Upon seeing the situation before her, Ye Xiuying immediately seized the opportunity to speak.
"She actually made fun of you, calling you prostitutes."
"She actually called the Crown Prince's residence a chicken coop. When the Crown Prince returns, we must tell him."
"Yes, first they called us peacocks, then they called us chickens."
The women kept arguing and chattering, and Hai Ling snorted impatiently, "Alright, enough of this noise so early in the morning. All of you, get back to your quarters. I will also go to the palace to ask Her Majesty the Empress for permission. Where did all these lowlifes come from in the Crown Prince's residence? Let's see if some of them who don't know the rules have been kicked out."
After she finished speaking, she yawned, decided not to pay any more attention to these women, turned around and left, intending to go inside and catch up on her sleep.
However, the women behind her were all stunned. They knew that Empress Sima, the mother of the Great Zhou Dynasty, was a person who valued etiquette the most. If this woman entered the palace to complain about them, the Empress was already upset at this time. If she heard about this matter, no one dared to predict what the consequences would be. Perhaps she would really make an example of them and send some of them out.
Consort Yu and the three ladies were naturally the quickest to think. After considering this, they immediately put on fake smiles and spoke in unison.
"We have come to pay our respects to the Crown Princess. Please wait a moment, Your Highness."
Hailin yawned, turned around, and glared coldly at the dozens of women under the eaves.
"I didn't notice that?"
Hai Ling's face was icy cold. They came early in the morning to mock and ridicule her, trying to give her a hard time. They weren't here to pay their respects. Did they even respect her as the Crown Princess? Although she knew it wasn't their fault, but rather the Crown Prince Feng Zixiao's attitude yesterday that provoked these women's arrogance, she should at least have them stay away from her and let her stay quietly in the Crown Prince's residence. She didn't expect them to come looking for trouble so early in the morning. It was no wonder she wasn't going to give them a pleasant look.
"This concubine, Yuzheng, greets Her Highness the Crown Princess."
Yu Zheng had always been in charge of the Crown Prince's residence. If this matter were to reach the palace, she would be the first to be affected, and the Empress would certainly question her abilities. Therefore, although she was unwilling, she took the initiative to pay her respects to Hai Ling and performed a proper and respectful bow.
When the Third Madam saw that Consort Yu had bowed, she quickly followed suit and bowed as well.
"This concubine greets Your Highness the Crown Princess."
After the Third Madam bowed, the concubines behind her dared not be the first to step forward and all bowed in return.
"This humble servant greets Her Highness the Crown Princess."
Ye Xiuying's face darkened when she saw the scene before her. She had come to watch everyone make things difficult for the fat woman, but she never expected that the tide would turn completely. The more she thought about it, the angrier she became, but she was helpless. After all, this was the Crown Prince's residence, not the Ye residence.
Hai Ling glanced at everyone, remained silent for a long time, and then told them to bow without urging them to get up, since they had ruined her mood so early in the morning.